Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2020
383. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will create two types of pandemic unemployment payment; one for persons who are laid off temporarily and another for persons who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19 in order that the latter can engage with Tús and avail of retraining or other supports to assist them in finding alternative employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31768/20]
View answerTús is a community work placement initiative which aims to provide short-term work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year, in order to break the cycle of unemployment and to improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. There are currently no plans to change the qualifying criteria regarding the duration of unemployment in order to avail of Tús.
The Deputy is advised that there are already a range of training and education supports available to people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in order to be able to avail of new employment opportunities. The July Jobs Stimulus provided a multi-billion euro package which included investment in training, education, skill development, work placement schemes, recruitment subsidies and jobs search and assistance measures aimed at helping those who have lost their jobs find a new one, to retrain or to develop new skills.
One of these schemes was the development of a Work Placement and Experience Programme to provide work experience for jobseekers who have been unemployed for more than 6 months. Any period spent in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will count towards the 6 month eligibility period.
The Department’s Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and certain others in receipt of social welfare payments who pursue full-time education courses at second or third level. Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a minimum period before being eligible to apply for the Back to Education Allowance when pursuing training or education. The qualifying period has been waived for people who have been in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. To avail of continued financial support while pursuing a full-time course, a person in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment should apply for a jobseeker payment.
Where an individual in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment wishes to pursue part-time study, they can continue to receive their payment while they continue to satisfy the conditions of the scheme.
I would advise that any person in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment seeking to engage in training or education should contact their Intreo Centre to assess the options available to them.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
